I've only been lifting properly (as opposed to preparing for it with cable weights & the extensive study of women's powerlifting videos on Instagram) since the 10th of the month, and I'm now squatting 50kg, bench pressing 30, and overhead pressing 27-28 (we don't have .25 plates at my gym). Last deadlift was 40kg, I think? But I fucked up my fingers last weekend (stumbled on the stairs while inebriated, smashed them on the banister) and can't deadlift without fucking them up further (the other lifts aren't great for them, but not bad either), so I haven't been increasing that. My next goal is to squat my bodyweight. Deadlift as well, but squat is gonna happen first because of the aforementioned fingersmash. Anyway, check it out: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11ZHEyTerSQnX1hVZ3YZUHDD8x8_LPhQg/view
So apparently I am "quad-dominant", which is why I struggle to squat low enough and (if I do go down low enough) wobble forward. This means I need to work on my glutes and hamstrings; in other words, my butt is gonna become just as outstanding (possibly literally) as my anterior thighs! I also made this. I only know the LMFAO song Shots because of this, so in my head it's also associated inextricably with The Hobbit, but since I started lifting it's just this all the time: I want it to be clear for the Redbubble customer base that this is not for men, hence the rainbow. Men have enough Lift Bro merch out there already. The ladies love ME when I do squats, bruh; go play with your toys and leave us alone.
VISUAL UPDATES I didn’t manage to complete 5x5 with that weight. It’s my third time failing a 5x5 (that’s five sets of five reps each) at 27kg, so next time (which should be tomorrow!) I have to reload. But I’m also squatting 55kg and bench pressing 30–haven’t had the chance to up that yet, sadly—so I’m still very happy with everything, altogether.
So I'm not squatting down far enough, which kind of means I'm not actually strong enough to actually do the 5x5 55kg... and my knees are getting wobbly when I do it, because the muscular effort makes it hard to concentrate on bracing them. Or maybe I'm just not strong enough with it? I don't know. I did the 5x5 with 25kg, though! Still not deadlifting, although I did basically deadlift the empty bar while I was moving stuff around to use the rack, and it felt fine. Also, I love the fact that the 20kg bar is just mildly unwieldy to hold in my arms and feels like nothing when I have it on my shoulders. Seriously, it's like putting on a jacket or something. Easy AF.
I’m still not squatting low enough; really need to work on my hamstrings, because my quads are awesome. Overhead and bench presses are good, though.
it is preeeeetty awesome. For 60kg to feel easy. For 40kg to feel like nothing at all. 40 feels like picking up a goddamn purse. 60 feels like, I don't know, the first couple minutes on a warmup stationary bicycle. 70 feels like the middle. 75 feels rough. 80kg is hard, but I can do 2 sets of 3 lifts, and I fucking love it. Last night I actually had to use that technique a couple times when my housemate had a dystonic attack. Most of the physical challenge for me was just using forearm strength to unclench her hands and feet, but I also had to lift her head while her neck muscles were convulsing so I could put a pillow underneath, and once it was done I had to hold her torso up while she crutched her way to her chair, push her back to her room, and lift her onto her (abnormally high) bed. Helping her when she needs help is one of my major motivators with strength training. Tomorrow night I'm going to go to my gym's powerlifting workshop and see if I can move up from 80 to 85kg. :D
Update: I did not try 85kg because 80 was rough, but hey, I did 80! Only 1x3 and then 1x2, so—actually, I was going to say "not as good as before" when I did 2x3, but hell, that doesn't matter. I don't need to do the same number of reps every single day in order to be allowed to say "I can do that". I also went up to 45kg on the bench press, though I couldn't get all five reps in all five sets. But again, I need to remember that "can lift it twenty-five times if I have little breaks every so often" is not the same as "can lift it, full stop". I CAN bench press 45kg. I have now done it, what... twenty times! I can bench press 45kg twenty times. That's pretty awesome. Still squatting lighter. My knee felt funny, but tolerable, and I am excited to squat heavy again, but I am also kind of glad for the easy ride in the meantime. My wrist was doing a funny thing during bench press—not the usual clicky joints or wobble-wrist, but a specific pain from the bottom centre of my palm, extending down in a line for about an inch and a half. Right down the middle. It wasn't good. I applied some tiger balm and adjusted my wrist straps and then tried again. It still felt weird, so I'll pay it close attention and ask the coach about it next week. That's all for now! 45kg bench press + I'm going in again today because there is going to be a TINY puppy named Fiddle. :o
Up to a 45kg bench press and, as of about two hours ago, 87.5kg deadlift! Edit: this means that I've increased my deadlift 50kg in four months. :D Despite the fact that I took about a month off, thanks to the fingersmash incident. On the other hand, my overhead press has not increased at all since my first post, but whatevs.
